Hugh McGinley

HUGH McGINLEY, MASTER ELECTRICIAN, DIES AT 75 LACEY, Wash. – Hugh Jamison McGinley, a master electrician whose work on power-generating plants in 4 states brought electricity to millions of people throughout the western United States, died Tuesday, February 26, at his home after a two-year battle with Hodgkin Disease, a cancer of the lymph system. He was 75. Mr. McGinley, a second-generation electrician whose career stretched over 41 years, served as an electrical superintendent on large transformer stations and power-generating plants in Oklahoma, Wyoming, California and Washington state. He was a leader on the electrical team that installed the first three of six 135-megawatt hydroelectric generating units at Little Goose Lock and Dam on the Snake River in eastern Washington. Electricity from the dam first came online in 1970 and powered residential, commercial and agricultural development throughout the Pacific Northwest. Mr. McGinley later worked as a facilities electrician for the Washington state Department of Transportation. He was a proud and active member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. After his retirement as an electrician, he worked as a commercial security guard in the Tacoma, Wash. area. An avid outdoorsman and hunter, he was known for his quick wit and irreverent sense of humor. A bald man who shaved his head years before the practice became fashionable, Mr. McGinley often told more hirsute men that, “God made only a few perfect heads; He put hair on the rest.” Mr. McGinley embraced simple, old-fashioned values. His word was his bond, according to his surviving brother Lawrence McGinley of Arvada, Colo. “Thank God we have simple people like Hugh,” Lawrence said. “…I always knew he was there when I needed him. I hope this is what he leaves all of us.” Hugh McGinley was born August 21, 1932 in Toledo, Ohio. He was the second of three children born to Donald Josiah McGinley and Hazel Marie Jamison. His older brother died in infancy. The family moved to LaPorte, Colo. near Fort Collins in 1945 where Hugh was a schoolboy athlete. He earned high school varsity letters in football and basketball. Mr. McGinley served in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955 as a construction electrician. He was married and divorced twice. Mr. McGinley was stationed at U.S. Naval Station, Bermuda, where he met Dorothy King. They were married in 1953 and divorced in 1956. He married Margie Ann Ritzman in Casper, Wyo. in November 1957. Although divorced in 1990, they remained close until his death. Survivors are his brother Lawrence of Arvada, Colo.; former spouse Marge McGinley of Lacey, Wash.; three daughters, Terri McGinley of Bermuda, Laurie McGinley of Lacey, Wash. and Christi McGinley of Olympia, Wash.; and four grandchildren, Matthew and Thomas Greenslade, Cody Buck and Sarah Hill. At Mr. McGinley’s request, his cremated remains will be scattered in the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming. Memorial contributions may be made to Franciscan Hospice and Palliative Care, 2901 Bridgeport Way W., University Place, Wash., or the hospice organization of your choice. To leave a condolence for the family click on View Guestbook below.